1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an agriculture planter assembly which has on either side thereof an extendable and retractable marker for marking the track that a tractor wheel should follow on a return planting sweep after the planter assembly has completed the planting of a plurality of rows and has turned around to plant adjacent rows. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electrical control circuit for providing an automatic alternating marker system whereby the first marker is extended and the second marker is retracted upon the raising of the planters and the turning of the tractor 180.degree. after planting a plurality of rows, and for extending the second marker and retracting the first marker upon the next raising of the planters and the next turning of the tractor 180.degree. for planting a plurality of properly spaced adjacent rows.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, it has been proposed to provide an agricultural planter assembly with a marker on each side thereof. Each marker includes two arms pivotably connected to each other at one end thereof, with the other end of one arm being pivotably connected to the planter assembly and the other end of the other arm having a marking disk mounted thereon. A piston and cylinder mechanism is connected to the one arm for causing raising and lowering of the one arm thereby to cause retraction or extension of the marker. Typically, a hydraulic valve assembly is mounted in the cabin of a tractor to which the planter assembly is mechanically and hydraulically coupled with the valve assembly being connected to the piston and cylinder mechanisms associated with each of the markers. Actuation of the valve assembly will cause pressurized hydraulic fluid to be applied to or relieved from the respective piston and cylinder mechanisms. In this way, actuation of the valve assembly will cause retraction of one marker and extension of the other marker.
The disk serves to make a mark or track that a tractor wheel should follow on a return planting sweep of the planter assembly for planting properly spaced adjacent rows after the planter assembly has made a first sweep to plant a first group of rows. Thus, after the planter assembly has made a first planting sweep to plant a plurality of rows and the planters of the assembly are raised and the tractor is turned 180.degree., the operator of the tractor will actuate the valve assembly to cause the extended marker to be retracted and the retracted marker to be extended. Then the operator will align the tractor so that one of the tractor wheels will follow the track made by the extended marker on the first planting sweep. Also, as the second planting sweep is being made, the extended marker will make a track which the tractor wheel will follow on the succeeding planting sweep, after the present planting sweep is completed, the planters are raised, and the tractor is turned 180.degree.. The sequence is repeated until the planting is finished.
As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the electrical control circuit of the automatic alternating marker system of the present invention provides for automatic extension of one marker and retraction of the other marker upon the completion of a planting sweep.